Baby J.D., In-Home Newborn Portraits

Jun 21

I have been blessed to have Ange (Angela) as one my very best friends for over 20 years. We met our freshman year of high school in marching band, she was friends of other new friends but things didn’t start out so sunny. We shared a crush on the same guy and as any gal knows, the competition is the enemy. Thankfully the guy came and went but our friendship took root and blossomed through it all, always growing stronger since we graduated nearly two decades ago.

Ange and her husband, Jon, were the first of our small friend group to become parents. They welcomed their firstborn, Katelyn, in 2013 while her husband was deployed with the United States Army. They had been living in New York and I was so excited when Ange moved back to Michigan while Jon was serving in the middle east to bring Kate into the world, living with her parents while here. Kate was the first newborn I ever attempted to photograph all those years ago and I realized newborn lifestyle was a preference for my shooting style when it comes to the freshest tiny humans. Flash forward to 2017 when Ange, another one of our gang, Kelly, and I were all expecting at the same time and due on February 20th, 21st and 22nd. Too crazy to make up! Our daughters all wound up being born within 6 days of each other with my daughter, Rosalie, being the youngest because my kids are always late (much to mama’s dismay!).

Life has a funny way of deepening friendships… sometimes it is through the highs of life like competing on a sports team together, getting engaged and married around the same, going into a similar career field… and other times it is through shared heartache that forges bonds deeper than happy times ever could. On April 17th, 2019, Angela joined me in the club no woman wants to be a part of: the mother of a miscarried child. Sweet baby Faith was born sleeping after being carried by her loving mama for 6 months. I remember sitting in my office and reading the text message to our friend group two days later, sharing the heart wrenching news. I sobbed all of my make-up off, bent over in my desk chair. Knowing your dearest friend is experiencing the world-shattering pain of miscarriage, especially so far along, and there is nothing tangible you can do to help is the worst. As awful as experiencing my miscarriage was, I found myself grateful to be able to relate to Ange in the moments of her toughest pain. It brought us even closer and remains an unfortunate reason for a bond that runs deep.

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 3: 5-6

The years that followed the loss of Faith have held plenty of pain for the Garvey family but they also held incredible healing and growth. We serve a loving God whose faithfulness never ceases to amaze me. On May 2nd, 2022, Jonathan Dominick, “JD”, was born into the world. A rainbow baby is a child born following the miscarriage of the child before him or her, ‘rainbow’ coming from God’s promise to mankind by placing the ribbon of a rainbow in the sky over Noah and his family following the flood of the earth. The Lord is faithful to us even when we are not to him. What an incredible gift that is.

I had the honor of visiting my dear friend and her family to meet JD and photograph the newly expanded family in their home and, of course, get in some newborn cuddles. Welcome, darling JD, you are so, so loved.